Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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53. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way his Department supports the health and well-being of school staff; the details of the entitlement of such staff in respect of counselling and similar employee supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16507/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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My Department has put in place an Occupational Health Strategy as a supportive resource for teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs), to promote their health in the workplace, with a focus primarily on prevention rather than cure. The Occupational Health Strategy comprises of the Employee Assistance and Well-being Programme and Occupational Health Services.  These services cater for about 64,000 Teachers and 10,000 Special Needs Assistants in some 4,000 Primary and Post Primary Schools.

The Employee Assistance and Well-being Programme is provided by contract awarded through open tender.

The current service provider is EAP Consultants/Carecall who were awarded the contract with effect from 01 October 2016 following a tendering process carried out by the Office of Government Procurement.

This confidential service is accessible by means of a freephone telephone helpline available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, providing counselling on a range of personal health and well-being issues given by qualified clinicians. Up to 6 face-to-face counselling sessions are available to provide supportive and solution-focused care based on an individual’s clinical needs.

The telephone service also provides specialist information, support and advice in relation to family, financial, legal, work-related and consumer information services as well as providing management support.

The services are reviewed with the education partners and the service provider on a regular basis.